The Rainy Season
by Yuki Seki
Summary: #7 in a series of 8086 drabbles/short fics at key points in a year between Haru Miura and Takeshi Yamamoto (Other stories listed in my profile). It's pouring rain and Haru's over fifteen minutes late to meet Yamamoto and she hasn't called or sent him a text to let him know what's going on. Just as he gives up and starts heading home, Haru appears. ONE SHOT


**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** Okay, I'm getting back into the saddle with this one as well. I had a whole lot of real life crop up all the sudden and it knocked me off my fanfic game for awhile and I apologize for that. I wasn't exactly sure what I was going to do for the month of June in this particular series, but since I looked it up and it was the 'rainy season' (oddly fitting all things considered), I decided I'd roll with this. Though it didn't turn out quite as light and fluffy as the other ones in this series ^^; Oh well, my head cannon is that Haru is being raised by a single dad and it provided another commonality between these two.

I swear 5986 is still my ship...but this 8086 ship is looking shinier by the day *laughs*

Anyway, Reborn isn't mine, I just write in the world a lot though (and I've come to the realization that Haru & Yamamoto are really my favorite characters in the series, but...shhh...don't tell anyone) .

Thanks for taking the time to read (and review if you get a chance) my story 3

* * *

 **The Rainy Season**

She was late.

Yamamoto glanced at the clock again to make sure he wasn't overreacting, but, sure enough, it was eighteen after five and she'd said she'd meet him at five. Checking his phone, he noted there still weren't any messages from her or even a missed call. The canopy overhead kept the rain off of him, but he could barely see the sidewalk beyond. He supposed with the rain, Haru might be reluctant to go out in it, but it had been over a week since he'd seen his girlfriend due to school events and other things interfering every time they set something up.

What worried him is that she hadn't texted or called him like she normally did when she was running late. Did something happen to her on the way to meet him? Was she tired of everything coming up and him making excuses as to why they couldn't meet? Maybe…

He cut off that train of thought quickly. He trusted Haru, but he also knew that he could just be a 'rebound romance' and eventually Haru would be over her broken heart and him with it. His hand tightened on the strap of his bag and he glanced at the clock again. Ten more minutes and then he'd go home.

He leaned against the wall and watched the rain fall.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

Ten minutes later he shoved away from the wall and put up his umbrella as he stepped into the still pouring rain.

"Yamamoto!"

The shout caught his attention and he turned barely in time to catch the sopping wet girl that slammed into his side. The water seeped quickly into his own clothing and he tightened an arm around her in a one-armed hug. "You're soaked to the skin, Haru…" he rumbled.

"I'm sorry I was late," Haru said. "Shiroame bolted out the door just as I was leaving and I had to go hunt him down."

"Did you find him?" he asked.

He felt Haru nod against his chest and sighed, stroking her hair out of her face. "Why didn't you call me?" he asked.

"I dropped my phone while I was running and can't find it," Haru mumbled.

He felt a tremor shake her slender form and realized his house was a lot closer than hers. "Let's get you inside," he said.

"I can go home and…" Haru began.

"My house is closer," he said. "I don't want you to catch a cold."

Yamamoto handed Haru his umbrella and shrugged out of his mostly dry jacket and slipped it around her shoulders before taking his umbrella back. "But you'll get sick then and you've got the semi-finals in a few weeks!" Haru objected.

"I'm not already soaked ninety percent through," Yamamoto replied.

They arrived at the restaurant about seven minutes later and Yamamoto pulled out his key and unlocked the door. He guided Haru inside and shut the door behind him and locked it. He handed her a towel when they hit the family quarters and she started drying her hair automatically. It was down today and Yamamoto smiled slightly and reached out to twine a strand around his finger. "It's unusual to see your hair down," he said quietly.

"Blame Shiroame," Haru mumbled.

"Did you get him home?" Yamamoto asked.

Haru nodded. "At about a quarter after, I went to text you and that's when I realized my phone was gone. We don't have a home phone so I couldn't call. I'm sorry."

"Go take a shower and warm up," Yamamoto suggested. "I'll find something you can wear while your clothes dry."

A blush sprang into Haru's cheeks and she looked at him with wide eyes. "I…"

"Just go," Yamamoto laughed and gave her a gentle shove in the direction of the bathroom. "I'll leave clothes in a basket just inside the door for you."

"O-okay…" she said.

She vanished into the bathroom and Yamamoto waited until the shower started up to duck into his room. He dug out one of his t-shirts and a pair of sweatpants with a drawstring and put them neatly in a basket with a brush and opened the bathroom door just far enough to get the basket in. After that was accomplished he went back to his room and changed his own damp clothing.

He drifted to the living area and saw a note on the table that reminded him his father was going to be gone overnight. There was a bit of money in the envelope and the letter ordered him to call for takeout and not even think about touching the kitchen. Yamamoto chuckled and went to the pile of menus next to the phone.

He was still sorting through them when a soft footstep caught his attention and he turned to see Haru standing in the doorway of the living room. His breath jammed in his throat and he couldn't stop staring. The clothing was obviously way too big for her, but he didn't think he'd ever seen anyone more beautiful than Haru looked at that moment dressed in his t-shirt with the legs of the sweatpants pooling at her ankle and her hair loose and tousled. He swallowed heavily—not even the girlie magazines he'd found in an out-of-the-way cabinet when he was looking for something could compare to this.

"Feeling better?" he managed.

Haru nodded. "Yes, thank you. I took the liberty of throwing everything in the dryer, if that's all right?"

"Of course," Yamamoto said and then gave her a sheepish look. "I forgot Pops had to go out of town tonight. There's no one else here right now…"

Haru's eyes went wide. "No one?" she squeaked.

"He left money for take-out," Yamamoto said. "What would you like?"

She took a step back as he moved towards her and Yamamoto sighed. "I'm not going to do anything you don't want me to, Haru," he said patiently, he knew how her imagination worked sometimes.

"Haru's sorry…" she mumbled.

He shook his head and handed her the menus. "Pick something; he left more than enough for me to get something for you as well."

"Are you sure?" Haru asked uncertainly.

Yamamoto nodded. "Would you like something to drink? I can get stuff for tea?"

He had to get out of that room for just a moment.

"Yes, please," Haru said gratefully.

He left quickly and picked up the utilitarian tea pot and filled it from the hot water maker on the counter and set it on a beat-up tray along with two cups for tea, tea bags, and sugar and cream in case she took that in her tea. He used the time to compose himself and firmly instruct himself to maintain proper distance between himself and his girlfriend.

When he returned to the living room, Haru was still pouring over the menus and he set the tray on the table. Finally, she looked up. "How about this?" she asked pointing at a ramen delivery pamphlet.

"Sounds good," Yamamoto agreed.

Haru gave him her order and he went to the phone and placed a call for it.

"You should probably call your dad and let him know that you're safe and dry," Yamamoto said offering the phone after he concluded the call. "He might be trying to get a hold of you via the cell phone."

Haru's eyes widened in horror and she quickly accepted the receiver and dialed a number while Yamamoto took himself across the room. He listened only half-heartedly to the Haru's side of the conversation focusing on setting up the tea.

Haru told her father good-bye and moved to join Yamamoto. "I told Father I was here so he wouldn't worry," she said. "He's stuck at school until the rain calms a bit."

"Will Shiroame be okay?" Yamamoto frowned.

Haru nodded. "We had a dog door installed in the door leading to the backyard so he'll be able to get in and out as needed. He had fresh food and water too. I made sure the gate was secure before I went to meet you."

Yamamoto nodded in approval and the two settled down to their tea until the ramen delivery arrived and he went to retrieve it. With Haru's permission, he turned on the television set and they settled down with their food and tea as the variety show started up.

About midway through the show, after they'd finished eating there was a vivid flash of lightning and thunder boomed before the flash faded. Seconds later the power went out.

Yamamoto could hear Haru's sharply indrawn breath and instinctively moved in closer to her as another crash echoed outside. Haru felt very small against his side and she crowded in and he could feel her shaking and her hand tightened on his leg, nails digging through the denim.

"Haru are you all right?" he asked softly.

"I lost my mom on a night like this," Haru mumbled against his side. "I hate storms like this."

Yamamoto's eyes widened at the reminder that Haru too had lost her mother. "When was that?" he asked softly realizing he'd never talked about it with Haru before.

"When I was eight," Haru said. "She was walking home from a school meeting and a guy lost control of his car in a puddle and slammed into her on the sidewalk. She always comforted me during the storms like this and then suddenly she wasn't there…"

Unable to help himself, Yamamoto drew her in closer to his side and stroked his fingers through her now-dry hair, marveling at the silkiness of it on the outer edges of his perception. "You don't have to fear the storm," Yamamoto said softly. "I'm here."

"For now," Haru stated sadly.

Yamamoto wanted to say 'for always', but he knew that they had a long time stretched before them and it wasn't out of the realm of possibilities their paths wouldn't diverge, but for now. "I'll be here for the entire rainy season, Haru," he said quietly.

He felt more than saw her face turn up towards him and he wasn't able to stop himself from leaning down and finding her lips with his in a gentle kiss.

"It's a promise," Haru said shakily when he pulled back.

"Ironclad guarantee," he stated and was surprised when she stretched up and kissed him in return.


End file.
